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The Mahabharata of Krishna Dwaipayana Vyasa, Volume 3 by or: Kisari Mohan Ganguli

o >> or: Kisari Mohan Ganguli >> The Mahabharata of Krishna Dwaipayana Vyasa, Volume 3




"Sanjaya continued, 'Thus addressed, O Bharata, by Vasudeva, Karna hung
down his head in shame and gave no answer. With lips quivering in rage,
he raised his bow, O Bharata, and, being endued with great energy and
prowess, he continued to fight with Partha. Then Vasudeva, addressing
Phalguna, that bull among men, said, "O thou of great might, piercing
Karna with a celestial weapon, throw him down." Thus addressed by the
holy one, Arjuna became filled with rage. Indeed, remembering the
incidents alluded to by Krishna, Dhananjaya blazed up with fury. Then, O
king, blazing flames of fire seemed to emanate from all the pores of the
angry Partha's body. The sight seemed to be exceedingly wonderful.
Beholding it, Karna, invoking the brahmastra, showered his shafts upon
Dhananjaya, and once more made an effort to extricate his car. Partha
also, by the aid of the brahmastra, poured arrowy downpours upon Karna.
Baffling with his own weapon the weapon of his foe, the son of Pandu
continued to strike him. The son of Kunti then, aiming at Karna sped
another favourite weapon of his that was inspired with the energy of
Agni. Sped by Arjuna, that weapon blazed up with its own energy. Karna,
however, quenched that conflagration with the Varuna weapon. The Suta's
son also, by the clouds he created, caused all the points of the compass
to be shrouded with a darkness such as may be seen on a rainy day. The
son of Pandu, endued with great energy, fearlessly dispelled those clouds
by means of the Vayavya weapon in the very sight of Karna. The Suta's son
then, for slaying the son of Pandu, took up a terrible arrow blazing like
fire. When that adored shaft was fixed on the bow-string, the earth, O
king, trembled with her mountains and waters and forests. Violent winds
began to blow, bearing hard pebbles. All the points of the compass became
enveloped with dust. Wails of grief, O Bharata, arose among the gods in
the welkin. Beholding that shaft aimed by the Suta's son, O sire, the
Pandavas, with cheerless hearts, gave themselves up to great sorrow. That
shaft of keen point and endued with the effulgence of Sakra's thunder,
sped from Karna's arms, fell upon Dhananjaya's chest and penetrated it
like a mighty snake penetrating an ant-hill. That grinder of foes, viz.,
the high-souled Vibhatsu, thus deeply pierced in that encounter, began to
reel. His grasp became loosened, at which his bow Gandiva dropped from
his hand. He trembled like the prince of mountains in an earthquake.
Availing himself of that opportunity, the mighty car-warrior Vrisha,
desirous of extricating his car-wheel that had been swallowed up by the
earth, jumped down from his vehicle. Seizing the wheel with his two arms
he endeavoured to drag it up, but though possessed of great strength, he
failed in his efforts, as destiny would have it. Meanwhile the
diadem-decked and high-souled Arjuna, recovering his senses, took up a
shaft, fatal as the rod of Death, and called anjalika. Then Vasudeva,
addressing Partha, said, "Cut off with thy arrow the head of this enemy
of thine, viz., Vrisha, before he succeeds in getting upon his car."
Applauding those words of the lord Vasudeva, and while the wheel of his
enemy was still sunk, the mighty car-warrior Arjuna took up a
razor-headed arrow of blazing effulgence and struck the standard (of
Karna) bearing the elephant's rope and bright as the spotless sun. That
standard bearing the device of the costly elephant's rope, was adorned
with gold and pearls and gems and diamonds, and forged with care by
foremost of artists excelling in knowledge, and possessed of great
beauty, and variegated with pure gold. That standard always used to fill
thy troops with high courage and the enemy with fear. Its form commanded
applause. Celebrated over the whole world, it resembled the sun in
splendour. Indeed, its effulgence was like that of fire or the sun or the
moon. The diadem-decked Arjuna, with that razor-headed shaft, exceedingly
sharp, equipped with wings of gold, possessed of the splendour of fire
when fed with libations of clarified butter, and blazing with beauty, cut
off that standard of Adhiratha's son, that great car-warrior. With that
standard, as it fell, the fame, pride, hope of victory, and everything
dear, as also the hearts of the Kurus, fell, and loud wails of "Oh!" and
"Alas!" arose (from the Kuru army). Beholding that standard cut off and
thrown down by that hero of Kuru's race possessed of great lightness of
hand, thy troops, O Bharata, were no longer hopeful of Karna's victory.
Hastening then for Karna's destruction, Partha took out from his quiver
an excellent Anjalika weapon that resembled the thunder of Indra or the
rod of fire and that was possessed of the effulgence of the
thousand-rayed Sun. Capable of penetrating the very vitals, besmeared
with blood and flesh, resembling fire or the sun, made of costly
materials, destructive of men, steeds, and elephants, of straight course
and fierce impetuosity, it measured three cubits and six feet. Endued
with the force of the thousand-eyed Indra's thunder, irresistible as
Rakshasas in the night, resembling Pinaka or Narayana's discus, it was
exceedingly terrible and destructive of all living creatures. Partha
cheerfully took up that great weapon, in the shape of an arrow, which
could not be resisted by the very gods, that high-souled being which was
always adored by the son of Pandu, and which was capable of vanquishing
the very gods and the Asuras. Beholding that shaft grasped by Partha in
that battle, the entire universe shook with its mobile and immobile
creatures. Indeed, seeing that weapon raised (for being sped) in that
dreadful battle, the Rishis loudly cried out, "Peace be to the universe!"
The wielder of Gandiva then fixed on his bow that unrivalled arrow,
uniting it with a high and mighty weapon. Drawing his bow Gandiva, he
quickly said, "Let this shaft of mine be like a mighty weapon capable of
quickly destroying the body and heart of my enemy, if I have ever
practised ascetic austerities, gratified my superiors, and listened to
the counsels of well-wishers. Let this shaft, worshipped by me and
possessed of great sharpness, slay my enemy Karna by that Truth." Having
said these words Dhananjaya let off that terrible shaft for the
destruction of Karna, that arrow fierce and efficacious as a rite
prescribed in the Atharvan of Angiras, blazing with effulgence, and
incapable of being endured by Death himself in battle. And the
diadem-decked Partha, desirous of slaying Karna, with great cheerfulness,
said, "Let this shaft conduce to my victory. Shot by me, let this arrow
possessed of the splendour of fire or the sun take Karna to the presence
of Yama." Saying these words, Arjuna, decked with diadem and garlands,
cherishing feelings of hostility towards Karna and desirous of slaying
him, cheerfully struck his foe with that foremost of shafts which was
possessed of the splendour of the sun or the moon and capable of
bestowing victory. Thus sped by that mighty warrior, that shaft endued
with the energy of the sun caused all the points of the compass to blaze
up with light. With that weapon Arjuna struck off his enemy's head like
Indra striking off the head of Vritra with his thunder. Indeed, O king,
with that excellent Anjalika weapon inspired with mantras into a mighty
weapon, the son of Indra cut off the head of Vaikartana in the afternoon.
Thus cut off with that Anjalika, the trunk of Karna fell down on the
earth. The head also of that commander of the (Kaurava) army, endued with
splendour equal to that of the risen sun and resembling the meridian sun
of autumn, fell down on the earth like the sun of bloody disc dropped
down from the Asta hills. Indeed, that head abandoned with great
unwillingness the body, exceedingly beautiful and always nursed in
luxury, of Karna of noble deeds, like an owner abandoning with great
unwillingness his commodious mansion filled with great wealth. Cut off
with Arjuna's arrow, and deprived of life, the tall trunk of Karna endued
with great splendour, with blood issuing from every wound, fell down like
the thunder-riven summit of a mountain of red chalk with crimson streams
running down its sides after a shower. Then from that body of the fallen
Karna a light passing through the welkin penetrated the sun. This
wonderful sight, O king, was beheld by the human warriors after the fall
of Karna. Then the Pandavas, beholding Karna slain by Phalguna, loudly
blew their conchs. Similarly, Krishna and Dhananjaya also, filled with
delight, and losing no time, blew their conchs. The Somakas beholding
Karna slain and lying on the field, were filled with joy and uttered loud
shouts with the other troops (of the Pandava army). In great delight they
blew their trumpets and waved their arms and garments. All the warriors,
O king, approaching Partha, began to applaud him joyfully. Others,
possessed of might, danced, embracing each other, and uttering loud
shouts, said, "By good luck, Karna hath been stretched on the earth and
mangled with arrows." Indeed, the severed head of Karna looked beautiful
like a mountain summit loosened by a tempest, or a quenched fire after
the sacrifice is over, or the image of the sun after it has reached the
Asta hills. The Karna-sun, with arrows for its rays, after having
scorched the hostile army, was at last caused to be set by the mighty
Arjuna-time. As the Sun, while proceeding towards the Asta hills, retires
taking away with him all his rays, even so that shaft (of Arjuna) passed
out, taking with it Karna's life breaths. The death hour of the Suta's
son, O sire, was the afternoon of that day. Cut off with the Anjalika
weapon in that battle, the head of Karna fell down along with his body.
Indeed, that arrow of Arjuna, in the very sight of the Kaurava troops,
quickly took away the head and the body of Karna. Beholding the heroic
Karna thrown down stretched on the earth, pierced with arrows and bathed
in blood, the king of the Madras, went away on that car deprived of its
standard. After the fall of Karna, the Kauravas, deeply pierced with
shafts in that battle, and afflicted with fear, fled away from the field,
frequently casting their eyes on that lofty standard of Arjuna that
blazed with splendour. The beautiful head, graced with a face that
resembled a lotus of a 1,000 petals, of Karna whose feats were like those
of the thousand-eyed Indra, fell down on the earth like the
thousand-rayed sun as he looks at the close of day.'"



92

"Sanjaya said, 'Beholding the troops crushed with arrows in that
encounter between Karna and Arjuna, Shalya proceeded, filled with wrath,
on that car divested of equipment. Beholding his army deprived of the
Suta's son and its cars and steeds and elephants destroyed, Duryodhana,
with eyes bathed in tears, repeatedly sighed the very picture of woe.
Desirous of beholding the heroic Karna, pierced with arrows and bathed in
blood, and stretched on the earth like the sun dropped from the skies at
will, the warriors came there and stood surrounding the fallen hero.
Amongst those belonging to the enemy and thy army that thus stood there,
some showed signs of joy, some of fear, some of sorrow, some of wonder,
and some gave themselves up to great grief, according to their respective
natures. Others amongst the Kauravas, hearing that Karna of mighty energy
had been slain by Dhananjaya, his armour, ornaments, robes, and weapons
having all been displaced, fled in fear like a herd of kine afflicted
with exceeding fear at losing its bull. Bhima then, uttering loud roars
and causing the welkin to tremble with those awful and tremendous shouts,
began to slap his armpits, jump, and dance, frightening the
Dhartarashtras by those movements. The Somakas and the Srinjayas also
loudly blew their conchs. All the Kshatriyas embraced one another in joy,
upon beholding the Suta's son slain at that juncture. Having fought a
dreadful battle, Karna was slain by Arjuna like an elephant by a lion.
That bull among men, Arjuna, thus accomplished his vow. Indeed even thus,
Partha reached the end of his hostility (towards Karna). The ruler of the
Madras, with stupefied heart, quickly proceeding, O king, to the side of
Duryodhana, on that car divested of standard said in sorrow these words,
"The elephants, the steeds, and the foremost of car-warriors of thy army
have been slain. In consequence of those mighty warriors, and steeds, and
elephants huge as hills, having been slain after coming into contact with
one another, thy host looks like the domains of Yama. Never before, O
Bharata, has a battle been fought like that between Karna and Arjuna
today. Karna had powerfully assailed the two Krishnas today and all
others who are thy foes. Destiny, however, has certainly flowed,
controlled by Partha. It is for this that Destiny is protecting the
Pandavas and weakening us. Many are the heroes who, resolved to
accomplish thy objects have been forcibly slain by the enemy. Brave
kings, who in energy, courage, and might, were equal to Kuvera or Yama or
Vasava or the Lord of the waters, who were possessed of every merit, who
were almost unslayable, and who were desirous of achieving thy object,
have in battle been slain by the Pandavas. Do not, O Bharata, grieve for
this. This is Destiny. Comfort thyself. Success cannot be always
attained." Hearing these words of the ruler of the Madras and reflecting
on his own evil doings. Duryodhana, with a cheerless heart, became almost
deprived of his senses and sighed repeatedly the very picture of woe.'"



93

"Dhritarashtra said, 'What was the aspect of the Kuru and the Srinjaya
host on that awful day while it was crushed with arrows and scorched
(with weapons) in that encounter between Karna and Arjuna and while it
was flying away from the field?'

"Sanjaya said, 'Hear, O king, with attention how that awful and great
carnage of human beings and elephants and steeds occurred in battle.
When, after Karna's fall Partha uttered leonine shouts, a great fright
entered the hearts of thy sons. Upon the fall of Karna no warrior of thy
army set his heart on rallying the troops or putting forth his prowess.
Their refuge having been destroyed by Arjuna, they were then like
raftless merchants, whose vessels have wrecked on the fathomless ocean,
desirous of crossing the uncrossable main. After the slaughter of the
Suta's son, O king, the Kauravas, terrified and mangled with shafts,
masterless and desirous of protection, became like a herd of elephants
afflicted by lions. Vanquished by Savyasaci on that afternoon, they fled
away like bulls with broken horns or snakes with broken fangs. Their
foremost of heroes slain, their troops thrown into confusion, themselves
mangled with keen arrows, thy sons, after the fall of Karna, O king, fled
away in fear. Divested of weapons and armour, no longer able to ascertain
which point of the compass was which, and deprived of their senses, they
crushed one another in course of their flight and looked at one another,
afflicted with fear. "It is me that Vibhatsu is pursuing with speed!" "It
is me that Vrikodara is pursuing with speed!"--thought every one among
the Kauravas who became pale with fear and fell down as they fled. Some
on horses, some on cars, some on elephants, and some on foot, mighty
car-warriors, endued with great speed, fled away in fear. Cars were
broken by elephants, horsemen were crushed by great car-warriors, and
bands of foot-soldiers were trodden down by bodies of horsemen, as these
fled in fear. After the fall of the Suta's son, thy warriors became like
people without protectors in a forest teeming with beasts of prey and
robbers. They were then like elephants without riders and men without
arms. Afflicted with fear, they looked upon the world as if it were full
of Partha. Beholding them fly away afflicted with the fear of Bhimasena,
indeed, and seeing his troops thus leave the field in thousands,
Duryodhana, uttering cries of "Oh!" and "Alas!" addressed his driver,
saying, "Partha will never be able to transgress me standing bow in hand.
Urge my steeds slowly behind all the troops. Without doubt, if I fight
standing in the rear of the army, the son of Kunti will never be able to
transgress me even as the vast deep is unable to transgress its
continents. Slaying Arjuna and Govinda and the proud Vrikodara and the
rest of my foes, I will free myself from the debt I owe to Karna."
Hearing these words of the Kuru king that were so worthy of a hero and
honourable man, the charioteer slowly urged his steeds adorned with
trappings of gold. Then 25,000 warriors on foot, belonging to thy army,
without cars and cavalry and elephants among them, prepared for battle.
Bhimasena, filled with wrath, and Dhrishtadyumna the son of Prishata,
encompassed them with four kinds of forces and began to strike them with
their shafts. In return, those warriors fought with Bhima and Prishata's
son. Some amongst them challenged the two heroes by name. Then Bhimasena
became filled with rage. Alighting from his car, mace in hand, he fought
with those warriors arrived for battle. Observant of the rules of fair
fight, Vrikodara, the son of Kunti, came down from his car, and relying
upon the might of his arms, began to fight on foot with those foes of his
that were on foot. Taking up his massive mace adorned with gold, he began
to slaughter them all, like the Destroyer armed with his bludgeon. The
Kaurava warriors on foot, filled with rage and becoming reckless of their
lives, rushed against Bhima in that battle like insects upon a blazing
fire. Those infuriated combatants, difficult of being defeated in battle,
approaching Bhimasena, perished in a trice like living creatures upon
seeing the Destroyer. The mighty Bhima, armed with a mace, careered like
a hawk and destroyed all those 25,000 combatants. Having slain that
division of heroic warriors, Bhima, of prowess incapable of being baffled
and of great might, once more stood, with Dhrishtadyumna before him.
Possessed of great energy, Dhananjaya proceeded against the (remnant of
the) car-force (of the Kauravas). The two sons of Madri, and Satyaki,
filled with joy, rushed with speed against Shakuni and slaughtered the
troops of Subala's son. Having slain with keen shafts his cavalry and
elephants in that encounter, they rushed impetuously against Shakuni
himself, upon which a great battle took place. Meanwhile Dhananjaya, O
lord, proceeding against thy car-force, twanged his bow Gandiva
celebrated over the three worlds. Beholding that car having white steeds
yoked unto it and owning Krishna for its driver, and seeing that Arjuna
was the warrior standing on it, thy troops fled away in fear. 25,000
soldiers on foot, deprived of cars and mangled with shafts, had perished
(at the hands of Bhima and Dhrishtadyumna). Having slain them, that tiger
among men, that great car-warrior among the Pancalas, viz., the
high-souled Dhrishtadyumna the son of the Pancala king, soon showed
himself, with Bhimasena before him. That slayer of foes and mighty bowman
appeared exceedingly handsome. Beholding Dhrishtadyumna's car which had
steeds white as pigeons yoked unto it and whose lofty standard was made
of the trunk of a Kovidara, the Kauravas fled away in great fear. The
twins (Nakula and Sahadeva) of great fame, and Satyaki, having pursued
with great speed the king of the Gandharvas who was possessed of
lightness of hands in the use of weapons, re-appeared (amid the Pandava
ranks). Chekitana and Shikhandi and the (five) sons of Draupadi, O sire,
having slaughtered thy vast army, blew their conchs. All those heroes,
although they saw thy troops flying away with faces turned from the
field, still pursued them, like bulls pursuing angry bulls after
vanquishing them. Pandu's son Savyasaci of great might, O king, beholding
a remnant of thy army still standing for battle, became filled with
wrath. Possessed of great energy, Dhananjaya, rushed against that
car-force, drawing his bow Gandiva celebrated over the three worlds.
Suddenly he shrouded them with showers of arrows. The dust that was
raised darkened the scene and nothing could any longer be distinguished.
When the earth was thus shrouded with dust and when darkness covered
everything, thy troops, O king, fled on all sides from fear. When the
Kuru army was thus broken, the Kuru king, O monarch, viz., thy son,
rushed against all his foes advancing against him. Then Duryodhana
challenged all the Pandavas to battle, O chief of Bharata's race, like
the Asura Vali in days of yore challenging the gods. At this, all the
Pandava heroes, uniting together, rushed against the advancing
Duryodhana, shooting and hurling at him diverse weapons and upbraiding
him repeatedly. Duryodhana, however, filled with rage, fearlessly
slaughtered those enemies of his in hundreds and thousands, with keen
shafts. The prowess that we then beheld of thy son was exceedingly
wonderful, for alone and unsupported, he fought with all the Pandavas
united together. Duryodhana then beheld his own troops who, mangled with
arrows, had set their hearts on flight, gone not far from the field.
Rallying them then, O monarch, thy son who was resolved to maintain his
honour, gladdening those warriors of his, said these words unto them: "I
do not see that spot in the earth or on the mountains, whither if ye fly,
the Pandavas will not slay you! What use then in flying away? Small is
the force that the Pandavas now have. The two Krishnas also are
exceedingly mangled. If all of us stay for battle, victory will certainly
be ours. If we fly in disunion, the sinful Pandavas, pursuing us, will
certainly slay all of us. For this, it is better that we should die in
battle. Death in battle is fraught with happiness. Fight, observant of
the Kshatriya's duty. He that is dead knows no misery. On the other hand,
such a one enjoys eternal bliss hereafter. Listen, ye Kshatriyas, ay, all
of you, that are assembled here! When the destroyer Yama spareth neither
the hero nor the coward, who is there so foolish of understanding,
although observant of a Kshatriya's vow like us, that would not fight.
Would ye place yourselves under the power of the angry foe Bhimasena? It
behoveth you not to abandon the duty observed by your sires and
grandsires. There is no greater sin for a Kshatriya than flight from
battle. There is no more blessed path for heaven, ye Kauravas, than the
duty of battle. Slain in battle, ye warriors, enjoy heaven without
delay.'"

"Sanjaya continued, 'While even these words were being uttered by thy
son, the (Kaurava) warriors, exceedingly mangled, fled away on all sides,
regardless of that speech.'"



94

"Sanjaya said, 'The ruler of the Madras then, beholding thy son employed
in rallying the troops, with fear depicted on his countenance and with
heart stupefied with grief, said these words unto Duryodhana.

"'Shalya said, "Behold this awful field of battle, O hero, covered with
heaps of slain men and steeds and elephants. Some tracts are covered with
fallen elephants huge as mountains, exceedingly mangled, their vital
limbs pierced with shafts, lying helplessly, deprived of life, their
armour displaced and the weapons, the shields and the swords with which
they were equipped lying scattered about. These fallen animals resemble
huge mountains riven with thunder, with their rocks and lofty trees and
herbs loosened from them and lying all around. The bells and iron hooks
and lances and standards with which those huge creatures had been
equipped are lying on the ground. Adorned with housings of gold, their
bodies are now bathed in blood. Some tracts, again, are covered with
fallen steeds, mangled with shafts, breathing hard in pain and vomitting
blood. Some of them are sending forth soft wails of pain, some are biting
the earth with rolling eyes and some are uttering piteous neighs.
Portions of the field are covered with horsemen and elephant-warriors
fallen off from their animals, and with bands of car-warriors forcibly
thrown down from their cars. Some of them are already dead and some are
at the point of death. Covered also with the corpses of men and steeds
and elephants as also with crushed cars and other huge elephants with
their trunks and limbs cut off, the earth has become awful to look at
like the great Vaitarani (skirting the domains of Yama). Indeed, the
earth looketh even such, being strewn with other elephants, stretched on
the ground with trembling bodies and broken tusks, vomiting blood,
uttering soft cries in pain, deprived of the warriors on their backs,
divested of the armour that covered their limbs, and reft of the
foot-soldiers that protected their flank and rear, and with their quivers
and banners and standards displaced, their bodies adorned with housings
of gold struck deep with the weapons of the foe. The earth looked like
the cloud-covered welkin in consequence of being strewn with the fallen
bodies of elephant-warriors and horse-men and carwarriors, all of great
fame, and of foot-soldiers slain by foes fighting face to face, and
divested of armour and ornaments and attire and weapons. Covered with
thousands of fallen combatants mangled with arrows, fully exposed to
view, and deprived of consciousness, with some amongst them whose breaths
were returning slowly, the earth seemed as if covered with many
extinguished fires. With those foremost of heroes among both the Kurus
and the Srinjayas, pierced with arrows and deprived of life by Partha and
Karna, the earth seemed as if strewn with blazing planets fallen from the
firmament, or like the nocturnal firmament itself bespangled with blazing
planets of serene light. The shafts sped from the arms of Karna and
Arjuna, piercing through the bodies of elephants and steeds and men and
quickly stilling their lives, entered the earth like mighty snakes
entering their holes with heads bent downwards. The earth has become
impassable with heaps of slain men and steeds and elephants, and with
cars broken with the shafts of Dhananjaya and Adhiratha's son and with
the numberless shafts themselves shot by them. Strewn with well-equipped
cars crushed by means of mighty shafts along with the warriors and the
weapons and the standards upon them, cars, that is, with their traces
broken, their joints separated, their axles and yokes and Trivenus
reduced to fragments, their wheels loosened, their Upaskaras destroyed,
their Anukarsanas cut in pieces, the fastenings of their quivers cut off,
and their niches (for the accommodation of drivers) broken, strewn with
those vehicles adorned with gems and gold, the earth looks like the
firmament overspread with autumnal clouds. In consequence of
well-equipped royal cars deprived of riders and dragged by fleet steeds,
as also of men and elephants and cars and horses that fled very quickly,
the army has been broken in diverse ways. Spiked maces with golden bells,
battle-axes, sharp lances, heavy clubs, mallets, bright unsheathed
swords, and maces covered with cloth of gold, have fallen on the field.
Bows decked with ornaments of gold, and shafts equipped with beautiful
wings of pure gold, and bright unsheathed rapiers of excellent temper,
and lances, and scimitars bright as gold, and umbrellas, and fans, and
conchs, and arms decked with excellent flowers and gold, and caparisons
of elephants, and standards, and car fences and diadems, and necklaces,
and brilliant crowns, and yak-tails lying about, O king, and garlands
luminous with corals and pearls, and chaplets for the head, and bracelets
for both the wrist and the upper arms, and collars for the neck with
strings of gold, and diverse kinds of costly diamonds and gems and
pearls, and bodies brought up in a great luxury, and heads beautiful as
the moon, are lying scattered about. Abandoning their bodies and
enjoyments and robes and diverse kinds of agreeable pleasures, and
acquiring great merit for the devotion they showed to the virtuous of
their order, they have speedily gone in a blaze of flame to regions of
bliss. Turn back, O Duryodhana! Let the troops retire! O king, O giver of
honours, proceed towards thy camp! There, the Sun is hanging low in the
welkin, O lord! Remember, O ruler of men, that thou art the cause of all
this!"

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We do not know the women's names, but their voices are quite distinct. All are pregnant. But while the first woman awaits the birth of her baby with a moon-like serenity, the other two are not so lucky. One, whose previous pregnancies have failed to go to term, is experiencing a heartbreaking late miscarriage; the other is a young student whose accidental pregnancy will end in her child being put up for adoption.

Sylvia Plath's only play was never intended for the stage, being broadcast instead on BBC radio in August 1962. Less than six months later, Plath killed herself, but not before the burst of astonishing creative energy that produced her extraordinary, terrifying Ariel poems.

Anyone who knows Plath's poetry will see the connection between Three Women and Plath's subsequent poems, particularly in the way she talks about the agony of childbirth, the rush of love for this tiny alien being, and both the wonder and wounded rawness of motherhood. It is a beautiful piece, full of startling imagery that draws you in through the sheer intensity of its femaleness, and because it so precisely articulates the emotions that are often thought but seldom voiced by women - certainly not in the early 1960s - about men, motherhood and our relationship to our bodies.

It's been 20 years since there has been an attempt at a professional stage version and - in a theatre world that happily accepts the poetic offerings of Sarah Kane and Debbie Tucker Green, or the staged possibilities of The Waves, one of Plath's own inspirations for the piece, I see no reason why it shouldn't be brought to life. Sadly, it doesn't breathe here, in a production by Robert Shaw that is clearly a labour of love, but which never finds a way to give the internal a physical reality. Plath's poetry, like most babies, is more robust than it appears - and won't break if treated with a little less reverence and considerably more grit.

Instead, what we are offered is tinkling piano music, mournful mood lighting, an innocuous pale setting, as well as three perfectly good but indisputably ladylike performances that capture none of the wounded redness of Plath's poetry, and do her the disservice of making her sound bleached and somewhat prissy. It's a pity. What might have been a wonder ends up a mere curiosity.

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